Coaster



E. HAZEL, JR

July 7, 19.59

COASTER Filed May 20, 1957 INVENTOR. f7/resi' /f/aje/ z//z United StatesPatent Hazrtel, Jr., Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of MissoApplication May 20, 1957, Serial No. 660,359

2 Claims. (Cl. I5-68.4)

r[his invention relates to coasters and more particularly to surfaceprotectors of the character designed to receive a container and toafford complete protection to the surface upon which -the coaster andcontainer are placed both by absorbing and by collecting the moisture incomponent parts of the coaster.

The primary object of the instant invention is to provide a coasterwhich may be easily and quickly formed from sheets of llexible materialby disposing a thin sheet of such material that is non-absorbent between-two relatively thicker sheets of absorbent material that are deformedto provide a cavity, supporting elements, and other functional parts ofthe coaster.

Other important objects of the invention will become apparent during-the course of the following description of the form of the inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coaster made in accordance with thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

The coaster forming the subject matter of the present invention has lamulti-part, unitary body broadly designated by the numeral and isparticularly adapted to receive and support a container in the nature ofa can or glass, fragmentarily shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and toprevent any moisture or condensate, which may ow down the outer sides ofthe container from reaching the surface upon which the coaster and thecontainer may be placed.

Body 10 is provided with a cavity 12, having a bottom 14, and aplurality of raised ribs 16 which serve to support the container when itis placed within the coaster. The ribs 16 are arcuate in shape anddiminish in length as the center of the bottom 14 is approached. Theribs 16 may take other forms but as shown they are well suited forsupporting glasses with circular bottoms of various diameters. Also, theribs 16, when so formed are well adapted to support a can and in sodoing to allow the annular bead usually formed on the bottom of a can tolit snugly in the groove between the outer peripheries of arcuate ribs16, and a marginal band 18 circumscribing the cavity 12.

The upper face of band 18 is generally convex and preferably composed ofmaterial which will absorb the condensate or moisture flowing downwardlyalong the outer surface of a container having its lower portion confinedwithin cavity 12. Band 18 is an integral part of a layer of material 20which forms the normally upper surface of body 10. As best shown in Fig.4 the said layer of material 20 comprises the entire upper surface ofbody 10 and is centrally depressed to form the cavity 2,893,163 PatentedJuly 7, 1959 ICC ,Y i 2 12, the bottom 14 and the plurality of raisedribs 16.

Disposed immediately to one side and normally below the layer ofmaterial 20-is a relatively thin, moisture irnyI pervious, intermediatesheet 22. This sheet 22 may be of any suitable material such as a vinylplastic iilm and its presence completely prevents the passage ofmoisture from the upper surface of the body 10 to the lower surfacethereof.

The normally lower surface of body 10 is comprised of a single sheet ofmaterial 24, formed to provide a band 26 and a at central portion 28.Band 26 circumscribes the ilat central portion 28, and is preferablycomposed of an anti-friction substance whereby to prevent the slid ingor slipping of coaster body 10 along a supporting surface.

In forming the body 10, the thin sheet of material 22 is disposedbetween the upper layer 20 and the lower sheet 24, and all subjected toheat and pressure whereby they are intimately fused to form the singleunitary laminated body 10.

Circumscribing body 10 and formed thereby is a trough 30, created by anarcuate marginal portion of upper layer 20, thin middle sheet 22, andthe lower sheet 24. Trough 30 is so positioned as to hold moisture incontact with the band 18 for absorption thereby insuring that nomoisture or condensate reaching the upper surface of body 10 will passto the lower surface thereof.

As shown by the drawing, body 10 is circular in shape but may take otherforms without departing from the concepts of this invention. Theadvantages of a circular construction are manifest, in that a glass orcan of standard size and shape, when placed within cavity 12, will havethe outer surface of the side thereof immediately adjacent to band 18thereby to have all moisture or condensate absorb therefrom as it owsdownwardly along the outer surface of such a container.

This desirable result is attained by forming band 18 of absorbentmaterial such as sponge rubber, foam plastic or the like. Since upperlayer 20 of body 10 forms band 18 and raised ribs 16, they too mayabsorb the moisture or condensate on the bottom of the container, or anyexcess moisture which may collect within cavity 12.

It is thus apparent that when the coaster is in use all moisture isabsorbed by the members 16 and 18 of the body. The nature and placementof the moisture impervious material 22 further prevents any moisturefrom reaching the lower sheet of material 24, or the surface upon whichthe coaster may be placed when in use.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A coaster comprising a laminated body including a relatively thinintermediate layer of moisture impervious material, a lower layer havinga smooth, flat central portion and an antifriction boundary integralwith said portion in surrounding relationship thereto, and an upperlayer having a central cavity, a relatively at, smooth section deningthe bottom of the cavity and a boundary integral with said section insurrounding relationship thereto, defining the side wall of said cavity,the layers being intimately fused together, there being a plurality ofarcuate ribs within the cavity integral with said bottom, saidboundaries and said ribs being of relatively soft, porous, spongymaterial; and a trough circumscribing said boundaries at the outermostedges thereof.

2. A coaster comprising a unitary, laminated body having an upper and alower surface, said upper surface having a cavity provided with abottom; a continuous band circumscribing each of the surfaces at themarginal edges thereof and opposed to each other, said bands beingformedv from the material constituting` each surface respectively, eachband having a substantially convex, soft, spongy face; a sheet ofmoisture impervious material disposed between said surfaces and saidbands for preventing the ow of moisture through the body;

material.

a trughrssqrihilig, @Peripheral kedgef the bedr, 424,028 saidtrughbeingforrnei from an arcuate, marginal pgr- 1,924,926 tionb of saidbands and saidprnoisture impervious nateijial; 1,971,337

anda plurality :orv arcuateribs within the cavity integr-aiA 102,652,703

Vwith said-upper surface, said'ribs being of a soft, spongy ReferencesCited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sautter Mar. 25,1890 Gray Aug. 29, 1933 Collins Aug. 28, 1934 Keegan .`.'..j.`. Sept.22, 1953

